I'm going to wave my hands around and tell everyone to buy people Fiesta Ware dishes if they're in the market for china and like color instead of white plates (you can get white too, though!) I use Fiesta Ware that my grandmother bought in the 1950s; it is the most durable stuff on the market and very wallet-friendly. And you can buy it in one color or many and have rainbow plates and bowls and mugs and pitchers and vases and *all* the things. AND bonus, you can get into the vintage/antique Fiesta Ware market and *really* go nuts. About 15 years ago, a friend wanted to put china on her registry and specifically wanted dark purple plates; I strongly advocated for Fiesta Ware (which was selling a gorgeous dark purple at the time) but she put something else on instead and wound up replacing the entire set two years later because everything had chipped so badly. Fiesta Ware! It's the best!
Okay, rant over: we have a set of Laguioile steak knives that I gave my husband for our first Christmas together; they've been going strong for 18 years. Same for the cast iron pan and the two Global brand kitchen knives we bought at the same time. Obviously a good knife sharpener is important, too! And I was praising our at-least-15-year-old Tupperware (RIP!) just this morning.
Fiesta Ware FTW. I still have most of the ones I registered for 14 years ago. Super sturdy and easy to replace. Plus I knew my color choices would change over the years. I originally registered for cobalt blue and brown (whyyyyy), but now I have a variety of colors, which come in handy when the choice of a blue plate versus a pink plate can smooth over a dinner meltdown.
Yes! Came here to say exactly that! They are so, so sturdy. They do get those silvery marks on them from silverware (?), but I read that Barkeeper’s Friend cleans that up nicely and someday I may dig that out from under the sink and try it. The only downside seems to be the problem with always wanting (and buying) more pieces.
Oh, yes. It is the best! And they keep making new colors, so there's always a temptation...or maybe that's just me. For our 25th anniversary, I divided my collection, er, stack with my daughter and nephew, and I'm so delighted to see the dishes in use in new places.
I asked for a KitchenAid mixer in lieu of an engagement ring. I rarely use it but it exists. My own Le Crueset cracked and was relegated to the chicken coop.
Now, I don't buy off anyone's registry. You get married? I'm buying you a fire extinguisher and/or a first aid kit. Having a baby? First aid kit and baby ear muffs.
I also got married in 2008. My AllClad pots and pans are still kicking. Those things are amazing. We were given a Cuisinart Grind and Brew coffee maker by someone who was very enthusiastic about Kona coffee, and it has turned out to be a staple that we cannot live without. We replaced it once, but it was like, why even bother with a different machine because this one just works.
I still have these weird pie crust dishes from Crate&Barrel (four of them??) that I have never used but have also never gotten rid of over the course of 15 years and three moves. My 28 year-old self apparently thought I had a big future in baking pies. I remember I registered for a crazy looking tea pot that I totally forgot about, and a very well-meaning friend bought it for us along with an incredible selection of tea, and I was so confused when I opened it to the point of my friend saying, "Well, you registered for it...". I wanted to die. I still want to die when I think about that!
lol!! I was gifted these Nora Fleming dishes with interchangeable doodads for switching out the season. They're very cute!! But then people (your mom) start giving you more doodads and you suddenly have a drawer full of ceramic pumpkins and footballs and gifts and martini glasses and christmas trees and ...
This made me LOL as a set of these dishes and doodads was an off-registry gift from my MIL. I think I kept them about 4-5 years out of guilt before donating!
I recently bought a bride a ceramic berry basket and sugar shaker set from C&B, knowing it will be something she looks at in a few years and says "why?" But if you can buy an impractical shower gift that was on a registry, then do it, imo!
Hey, I actually bought myself a ceramic berry basket last summer! I use it more for picking cherry tomatoes that I grow on my deck, but it still kind of achieves the intended purpose? The sugar shakers, though...sounds like she could also use my pie pans!
I should admit here that I registered for a terracotta garlic baker thing because I loved the baked garlic that you spread on your bread at Bistro 110 (if you are a Chicagoan of a certain age). I moved it at least twice before I donated it, unused, to Goodwill.
We have one All Clad pot that my husband registered for and received. We rarely use it, and instead continue to use the "big box of Farberware from Kohls" pans that his grandmother gave us when we first moved in together.
Love my Cuisinart Custom food processor so much that when my ex kept it in the divorce I requested he buy it off me so I could buy myself a new one. That the first thing I made with it was a cake (dark chocolate cherry torte) for my now husband brings me joy every time I use it (which is weekly).
We will be married 40 years in August, so who remembers wedding gifts? I do know that I have a full set of china that we never use. Luckily, it’s tucked up high in a cabinet so it’s not in the way. I would donate it but my husband (if he ever found out) would die. The silverware I chose is still going strong though.
We registered for wine. It’s our 10 year wedding anniversary in October and still have bottles coming up ready for drinking. They all have little tags that say who bought them which is a nice reminder of the day
We were not big on a long engagement because hi - adults. So we got engaged around Christmas and married the next October, mostly because that’s when everyone could be there. But we WERE big on the wine registry!
Although my marriage thankfully didn’t last, my sister, who was living in Ireland at the time, brought me a Waterford Fruit Bowl. Sensing impending doom from the start, that fruit bowl stayed in my parents house, in my old bedroom closet until I was safely divorced and in my own home 14 years later. I kept matchbooks in it inside a cabinet. One day, my then 10 year old daughter was bringing me random items asking me, “Is this how much I weighed when I was born “. With every No, she’d retract and grab another item. She eventually approached me carrying that Waterford Fruit Bowl. As I screeched, of course she dropped it, shattering it in hundreds of little crystal pieces. I was afraid to deal with the disaster for a bit but I told her she should go to her room. My sister had died, so that fruit bowl was so precious to me. She slid apology notes under her door and promised me when she grew up she’d buy me a new one when she started working. Well, she’s grown now, in her own home, paid for and mortgaged in only her name. She never did buy me that Fruit Bowl and we sometimes joke that I’m still waiting for it. That’s what I remember most about my wedding gifts. 41 years later.
I was 39 when we got married so we had most of the practical stuff already. (Including THREE kitchen aid stand mixers--mine, his and ours. The “give your girlfriend a stand mixer in a different color” for her birthday decision is one I still give the husband crap for, but on the other hand, I adore my mixer and the fact that it matches my kitchen tile.)
But the Le Creuset I threw on the registry for giggles is going strong. And it matches the Kitchen Aid. My china, which I adore and don’t regret lives in a cupboard and doesn’t even make it out for holidays because kid.
I remember registry time as being so stressful; the pressure to choose just the right things that would last forever and fill out a real "grown-up" life. But a few things have lasted us since 2011:
The all-time GOAT for longevity, however, has to be the Farberware stainless steel set of 1-, 2-, and 4-quart pots I got in a set from Bed Bath and Beyond after I graduated college in 2004. I keep thinking I'll replace them with something fancier, but they just keep on doing the job. Good lesson for me to keep on learning - just because something's cheap doesn't mean it won't work.
I have a small Farberware stainless steel stock pot I got for like $10 right after college and it is still my favorite pot. It's basically perfect AND it can go in the dishwasher.
It now most often gets used to make a double batch of mac and cheese when we have that with/for dinner.
Isn't it funny how you tried to find the same silverware you had growing up? I did the same thing! I found ours at Crate&Barrel, but they don't make it anymore. I always look for pieces on replacement parts websites but can never find any!
We still have some pans that my husband before we got married that our Linens 'n Things branded. I believe Linens n' Things went bankrupt in the late 2000s. But damn those pans are still around!
I was thinking back to how I felt so conscious at the time that my choices telegraphed our personality and that for instance picking out an orange Le Creuset was *funky*.
I did not parse my cousin's registry now through my 44 year old eyes and be like "mmmmm wow that's so interesting/telling they chose THAT brand of hand vac!"
And what’s even “allowed” now on registries! I was so self conscious about what some of the more ‘formal’ members of my extended family would think about my choices. 15 years later my cousin straight up asks for cash and novelty mugs, showing once again that ‘reading the room’ isn’t really all it’s cracked up to be.
As a fellow Chicagoan, we all registered at Marshall Field's (I am Old) and Crate & Barrel. And I remember running into the C&B outlet off of Halstead when you realized you needed something and didn't have quite the right thing at home.
Anyway, C&B convinced my husband he would need lots of beer steins that have rarely been used in almost 30 years. We did register for two sets of china, and since my 'nice' china was Mikasa and on sale the entire length of my engagement, I got everything I registered for, plus extra dessert/salad plates. For years before I moved, I hosted a family holiday, so I actually did use it. Now I just use it a few times a year, since my 'everyday', while still in use, has lost about half of the dinner plates through the years.
I have Nambe serving pieces and little Orrefors crystal bowls. Somewhere I have Annieglass appetizer plates. I know we are not supposed to save things for our kids, but I am, as I have young adults who will hopefully be moving into their own apartments in a few years. And don't get me started on my mom, who has actual vintages housewares/linens! Both kids will be getting an assortment of serving pieces to mix with their Target/IKEA.
We have Nambe flatware! We just had to order replacement forks b/c so many went missing (I suspect accidentally went in the trash with wasted food.) I also have a gigantic glass Nambe vase because I thought I'd be having flowers out all the time. It's very chip-prone; I should just give it away.
C&B also soaked us for 2 kinds of beer steins PLUS pint and half pint glasses! To be fair, we've worked our way through those with lots of attrition (our kids empty the dishwasher).
We have a GORGEOUS Nambe decanter and matching glasses that have sat looking pretty in a cabinet since about the time I got pregnant with our first (so 17 years ago?) The Fields/Crate&Barrel obligations were strong back in the early aughts!
Oooh, I got married in 2008. And I guess as a child whose mother was married several times, I always mentally note when our marriage outlasts a wedding-related gift.
Our marriage has lasted longer than a number of wedding guests, including various towels, sheets, and non-stick pans. And then there are just so many gifts stored away in places that we never use (a full set of margarita glasses, two Tiffany flutes that we did not register for). The items that continue to last (and bring joy) and that we regularly use include: our daily plates (from Juliska, showing some chips but held up very well), our rice cooker, and our knives. We also have some items that we use less frequently that I'm happy we have--a large carving board that I use a few times a year when we make a big roast, fancy non-stick baking sheets, our fancy China.
But my favorite gift overall our the knives we received. I've read about how giving knives is bad luck. But is there any better gift than a really good knife?
I couldn’t register for knives or the ghost of my father would have haunted me forever. He once chased his bff around the man’s wedding with a nickel to “pay for” the pocket knife he got for a grooms gift.
Oh I definitely would have to look to remember what all was on our registry, but there are four things I do remember:
- everyday silverware. It was some Oneida that was sold at Target and I still love it and it is doing just fine, except for all of the mysteriously missing teaspoons, that would cost almost $20 each to replace in the same pattern
- the dishes from Target whose pattern I loved. I still have some, packed away, but they chip and break so easily and the ones I got four years later are in much better shape.
- the china and crystal etc. In pre-pandemic times I was hosting like, Family Holiday Dinners and such, but, hah, yeah, no, not so much the past four years. At least I have a cabinet for it now.
- the immersion blender that, when they bought it, my brother and SIL said "are you even going to use this more than once?" HA HA I use it 6-10 times per year and every single time I do, I enjoy it, because I TOLD YOU I WOULD USE IT.
But where do the teaspoons go? I still have my registry wedding silverware from our 2009 nuptials but am down to one teaspoon. No idea. And I adore my immersion blender
My mom is 74 and just bought her first immersion blender because it was on sale at Kohl's. She is constantly singing its praises so now I think I need to get one!
lol that Wheel of Fortune meme 😂😂 also, “because they were raised well.” hanging out with you in the ice crystals in my bedroom over here in Michigan 🫶🏽 The expensive colorful plates the color of McDonald’s marketing did not make it past the ten-year mark, but we still have every one of our dimpled, shiny, whatever-metal-they-are-that’s-so-heavy-in-your-hands (that’s what she said) silverware pieces. I think I lost an amazing pair of expensive kitchen scissors in a pizza box, too. Tragedy of my life. Yes to slow cooker, no to waffle maker. (Although I just saw someone making crispy leftover rice in their waffle maker this week and said hmm….) I could have used a food processor earlier in my wedded (blissed and blessed) cooking life and the stand mixer I got a few years later has earned its place by the sheer happiness of not having to ever touch one of those cheap electric mixers again. Also, my fancy friend gave me a fancy blender as an engagement present and I’ve used it several times a week for the past cant-do-math years. Yay friends who know you better than you know yourself!
I bought myself a kitchen aid mixer one year because I refused to wait until I found a man to get one (it was the traditional wedding gift in my family). So while it wasn't on my wedding registry I use it at least several times a month and it was 1000% worth it. For our actual wedding, we got a beautiful wooden fruit bowl from Crate & Barrel that we use every day and has aged really well. We also got silverware from Crate & Barrel that I still love!
My kitchen aid mixer and crock pot(s) are still my favourite items from our registry and the ones we use most. And something that wasn't on our registry, but was gifted to us for our wedding, was a very large, very soft blanket, which has kept us warm in bed through seven winters so far (we're in upstate New York in the U.S.). Honourable mention is a kettle, which is now very dinged up, and which we accidentally leave water in whenever we go through spurts of using it, but it's a happy blue colour and it does the job.
I'm going to wave my hands around and tell everyone to buy people Fiesta Ware dishes if they're in the market for china and like color instead of white plates (you can get white too, though!) I use Fiesta Ware that my grandmother bought in the 1950s; it is the most durable stuff on the market and very wallet-friendly. And you can buy it in one color or many and have rainbow plates and bowls and mugs and pitchers and vases and *all* the things. AND bonus, you can get into the vintage/antique Fiesta Ware market and *really* go nuts. About 15 years ago, a friend wanted to put china on her registry and specifically wanted dark purple plates; I strongly advocated for Fiesta Ware (which was selling a gorgeous dark purple at the time) but she put something else on instead and wound up replacing the entire set two years later because everything had chipped so badly. Fiesta Ware! It's the best!
Okay, rant over: we have a set of Laguioile steak knives that I gave my husband for our first Christmas together; they've been going strong for 18 years. Same for the cast iron pan and the two Global brand kitchen knives we bought at the same time. Obviously a good knife sharpener is important, too! And I was praising our at-least-15-year-old Tupperware (RIP!) just this morning.
Fiesta Ware FTW. I still have most of the ones I registered for 14 years ago. Super sturdy and easy to replace. Plus I knew my color choices would change over the years. I originally registered for cobalt blue and brown (whyyyyy), but now I have a variety of colors, which come in handy when the choice of a blue plate versus a pink plate can smooth over a dinner meltdown.
Yes! Came here to say exactly that! They are so, so sturdy. They do get those silvery marks on them from silverware (?), but I read that Barkeeper’s Friend cleans that up nicely and someday I may dig that out from under the sink and try it. The only downside seems to be the problem with always wanting (and buying) more pieces.
Oh, yes. It is the best! And they keep making new colors, so there's always a temptation...or maybe that's just me. For our 25th anniversary, I divided my collection, er, stack with my daughter and nephew, and I'm so delighted to see the dishes in use in new places.
I asked for a KitchenAid mixer in lieu of an engagement ring. I rarely use it but it exists. My own Le Crueset cracked and was relegated to the chicken coop.
Now, I don't buy off anyone's registry. You get married? I'm buying you a fire extinguisher and/or a first aid kit. Having a baby? First aid kit and baby ear muffs.
I also got married in 2008. My AllClad pots and pans are still kicking. Those things are amazing. We were given a Cuisinart Grind and Brew coffee maker by someone who was very enthusiastic about Kona coffee, and it has turned out to be a staple that we cannot live without. We replaced it once, but it was like, why even bother with a different machine because this one just works.
I still have these weird pie crust dishes from Crate&Barrel (four of them??) that I have never used but have also never gotten rid of over the course of 15 years and three moves. My 28 year-old self apparently thought I had a big future in baking pies. I remember I registered for a crazy looking tea pot that I totally forgot about, and a very well-meaning friend bought it for us along with an incredible selection of tea, and I was so confused when I opened it to the point of my friend saying, "Well, you registered for it...". I wanted to die. I still want to die when I think about that!
Big pie future 😆
lol!! I was gifted these Nora Fleming dishes with interchangeable doodads for switching out the season. They're very cute!! But then people (your mom) start giving you more doodads and you suddenly have a drawer full of ceramic pumpkins and footballs and gifts and martini glasses and christmas trees and ...
This made me LOL as a set of these dishes and doodads was an off-registry gift from my MIL. I think I kept them about 4-5 years out of guilt before donating!
lolol. those pesky moms with their confidant, seasonal gifts
Like have I even baked one pie? No!
But it’s gonna be soooo good when you do!
I recently bought a bride a ceramic berry basket and sugar shaker set from C&B, knowing it will be something she looks at in a few years and says "why?" But if you can buy an impractical shower gift that was on a registry, then do it, imo!
Hey, I actually bought myself a ceramic berry basket last summer! I use it more for picking cherry tomatoes that I grow on my deck, but it still kind of achieves the intended purpose? The sugar shakers, though...sounds like she could also use my pie pans!
I should admit here that I registered for a terracotta garlic baker thing because I loved the baked garlic that you spread on your bread at Bistro 110 (if you are a Chicagoan of a certain age). I moved it at least twice before I donated it, unused, to Goodwill.
We have one All Clad pot that my husband registered for and received. We rarely use it, and instead continue to use the "big box of Farberware from Kohls" pans that his grandmother gave us when we first moved in together.
searching "light up dick game" is yielding, sadly, all the WRONG results
I laughed and I'm sorry!
Love my Cuisinart Custom food processor so much that when my ex kept it in the divorce I requested he buy it off me so I could buy myself a new one. That the first thing I made with it was a cake (dark chocolate cherry torte) for my now husband brings me joy every time I use it (which is weekly).
We will be married 40 years in August, so who remembers wedding gifts? I do know that I have a full set of china that we never use. Luckily, it’s tucked up high in a cabinet so it’s not in the way. I would donate it but my husband (if he ever found out) would die. The silverware I chose is still going strong though.
wow, early congrats on that milestone!!
Thank you! We’re going to Alaska to see the Northern Lights in October to celebrate. It’s something I’ve wanted to do my whole adult life.
that is really cool--good for you! Great way to celebrate.
We registered for wine. It’s our 10 year wedding anniversary in October and still have bottles coming up ready for drinking. They all have little tags that say who bought them which is a nice reminder of the day
that's really sweet! We were married October as well. When we got engaged my mom was like "I always liked the idea of a fall wedding" and off we went.
We were not big on a long engagement because hi - adults. So we got engaged around Christmas and married the next October, mostly because that’s when everyone could be there. But we WERE big on the wine registry!
Although my marriage thankfully didn’t last, my sister, who was living in Ireland at the time, brought me a Waterford Fruit Bowl. Sensing impending doom from the start, that fruit bowl stayed in my parents house, in my old bedroom closet until I was safely divorced and in my own home 14 years later. I kept matchbooks in it inside a cabinet. One day, my then 10 year old daughter was bringing me random items asking me, “Is this how much I weighed when I was born “. With every No, she’d retract and grab another item. She eventually approached me carrying that Waterford Fruit Bowl. As I screeched, of course she dropped it, shattering it in hundreds of little crystal pieces. I was afraid to deal with the disaster for a bit but I told her she should go to her room. My sister had died, so that fruit bowl was so precious to me. She slid apology notes under her door and promised me when she grew up she’d buy me a new one when she started working. Well, she’s grown now, in her own home, paid for and mortgaged in only her name. She never did buy me that Fruit Bowl and we sometimes joke that I’m still waiting for it. That’s what I remember most about my wedding gifts. 41 years later.
Woah, Nora - you have all the parts for a gorgeous personal essay here. ❤️
I was 39 when we got married so we had most of the practical stuff already. (Including THREE kitchen aid stand mixers--mine, his and ours. The “give your girlfriend a stand mixer in a different color” for her birthday decision is one I still give the husband crap for, but on the other hand, I adore my mixer and the fact that it matches my kitchen tile.)
But the Le Creuset I threw on the registry for giggles is going strong. And it matches the Kitchen Aid. My china, which I adore and don’t regret lives in a cupboard and doesn’t even make it out for holidays because kid.
I remember registry time as being so stressful; the pressure to choose just the right things that would last forever and fill out a real "grown-up" life. But a few things have lasted us since 2011:
These eye-wateringly expensive but sturdy (and lovely) Denby dishes we use every day: https://www.denbypottery.com/us/16-piece-sets/16-piece-sets/124046950
This footed cutting board that stays out on the counter for prep:
https://www.crateandbarrel.com/square-end-grain-cutting-board/s628085
This silverware, which was the same one I had growing up and just feels good and "normal" in my hands, for lack of a better word:
https://www.silversuperstore.com/Towle-Arctic-20-piece-Service-for-4/productinfo/T546-20/
These little rounded-edge serrated knives! They cut everything! Kids can use them! I might need more!:
https://www.swissknifeshop.com/products/swiss-classic-6-piece-4-5-round-tip-serrated-steak-knife-set-by-victorinox?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAkp6tBhB5EiwANTCx1Cj4yFqor3MiYRi55ifzjAKP-f1GpR4UatakTw_azINd4Id1eTCilBoCFQcQAvD_BwE
The all-time GOAT for longevity, however, has to be the Farberware stainless steel set of 1-, 2-, and 4-quart pots I got in a set from Bed Bath and Beyond after I graduated college in 2004. I keep thinking I'll replace them with something fancier, but they just keep on doing the job. Good lesson for me to keep on learning - just because something's cheap doesn't mean it won't work.
I have a small Farberware stainless steel stock pot I got for like $10 right after college and it is still my favorite pot. It's basically perfect AND it can go in the dishwasher.
It now most often gets used to make a double batch of mac and cheese when we have that with/for dinner.
It's the best mac and cheese pot!
Isn't it funny how you tried to find the same silverware you had growing up? I did the same thing! I found ours at Crate&Barrel, but they don't make it anymore. I always look for pieces on replacement parts websites but can never find any!
We still have some pans that my husband before we got married that our Linens 'n Things branded. I believe Linens n' Things went bankrupt in the late 2000s. But damn those pans are still around!
AMEN on the Farberware!
I was thinking back to how I felt so conscious at the time that my choices telegraphed our personality and that for instance picking out an orange Le Creuset was *funky*.
I did not parse my cousin's registry now through my 44 year old eyes and be like "mmmmm wow that's so interesting/telling they chose THAT brand of hand vac!"
And what’s even “allowed” now on registries! I was so self conscious about what some of the more ‘formal’ members of my extended family would think about my choices. 15 years later my cousin straight up asks for cash and novelty mugs, showing once again that ‘reading the room’ isn’t really all it’s cracked up to be.
As a fellow Chicagoan, we all registered at Marshall Field's (I am Old) and Crate & Barrel. And I remember running into the C&B outlet off of Halstead when you realized you needed something and didn't have quite the right thing at home.
Anyway, C&B convinced my husband he would need lots of beer steins that have rarely been used in almost 30 years. We did register for two sets of china, and since my 'nice' china was Mikasa and on sale the entire length of my engagement, I got everything I registered for, plus extra dessert/salad plates. For years before I moved, I hosted a family holiday, so I actually did use it. Now I just use it a few times a year, since my 'everyday', while still in use, has lost about half of the dinner plates through the years.
I have Nambe serving pieces and little Orrefors crystal bowls. Somewhere I have Annieglass appetizer plates. I know we are not supposed to save things for our kids, but I am, as I have young adults who will hopefully be moving into their own apartments in a few years. And don't get me started on my mom, who has actual vintages housewares/linens! Both kids will be getting an assortment of serving pieces to mix with their Target/IKEA.
We have Nambe flatware! We just had to order replacement forks b/c so many went missing (I suspect accidentally went in the trash with wasted food.) I also have a gigantic glass Nambe vase because I thought I'd be having flowers out all the time. It's very chip-prone; I should just give it away.
C&B also soaked us for 2 kinds of beer steins PLUS pint and half pint glasses! To be fair, we've worked our way through those with lots of attrition (our kids empty the dishwasher).
We have a GORGEOUS Nambe decanter and matching glasses that have sat looking pretty in a cabinet since about the time I got pregnant with our first (so 17 years ago?) The Fields/Crate&Barrel obligations were strong back in the early aughts!
I have all my old mix tapes in a nice big sturdy green Marshall Field's box, the ultimate artifact of artifacts.
Oooh, I got married in 2008. And I guess as a child whose mother was married several times, I always mentally note when our marriage outlasts a wedding-related gift.
Our marriage has lasted longer than a number of wedding guests, including various towels, sheets, and non-stick pans. And then there are just so many gifts stored away in places that we never use (a full set of margarita glasses, two Tiffany flutes that we did not register for). The items that continue to last (and bring joy) and that we regularly use include: our daily plates (from Juliska, showing some chips but held up very well), our rice cooker, and our knives. We also have some items that we use less frequently that I'm happy we have--a large carving board that I use a few times a year when we make a big roast, fancy non-stick baking sheets, our fancy China.
But my favorite gift overall our the knives we received. I've read about how giving knives is bad luck. But is there any better gift than a really good knife?
I couldn’t register for knives or the ghost of my father would have haunted me forever. He once chased his bff around the man’s wedding with a nickel to “pay for” the pocket knife he got for a grooms gift.
Same! My grandmother gave us pennies at Christmas so we could “buy” our Swiss army knives from her (which is a great gift!).
that is amazing! I've never heard of this tradition, if that's a thing.
Oh I definitely would have to look to remember what all was on our registry, but there are four things I do remember:
- everyday silverware. It was some Oneida that was sold at Target and I still love it and it is doing just fine, except for all of the mysteriously missing teaspoons, that would cost almost $20 each to replace in the same pattern
- the dishes from Target whose pattern I loved. I still have some, packed away, but they chip and break so easily and the ones I got four years later are in much better shape.
- the china and crystal etc. In pre-pandemic times I was hosting like, Family Holiday Dinners and such, but, hah, yeah, no, not so much the past four years. At least I have a cabinet for it now.
- the immersion blender that, when they bought it, my brother and SIL said "are you even going to use this more than once?" HA HA I use it 6-10 times per year and every single time I do, I enjoy it, because I TOLD YOU I WOULD USE IT.
But where do the teaspoons go? I still have my registry wedding silverware from our 2009 nuptials but am down to one teaspoon. No idea. And I adore my immersion blender
My mom is 74 and just bought her first immersion blender because it was on sale at Kohl's. She is constantly singing its praises so now I think I need to get one!
I love how spite/ being right can be such a motivating factor!
My husband’s answer to this would be his beloved immersion blender. He is in total agreement with you.
lol that Wheel of Fortune meme 😂😂 also, “because they were raised well.” hanging out with you in the ice crystals in my bedroom over here in Michigan 🫶🏽 The expensive colorful plates the color of McDonald’s marketing did not make it past the ten-year mark, but we still have every one of our dimpled, shiny, whatever-metal-they-are-that’s-so-heavy-in-your-hands (that’s what she said) silverware pieces. I think I lost an amazing pair of expensive kitchen scissors in a pizza box, too. Tragedy of my life. Yes to slow cooker, no to waffle maker. (Although I just saw someone making crispy leftover rice in their waffle maker this week and said hmm….) I could have used a food processor earlier in my wedded (blissed and blessed) cooking life and the stand mixer I got a few years later has earned its place by the sheer happiness of not having to ever touch one of those cheap electric mixers again. Also, my fancy friend gave me a fancy blender as an engagement present and I’ve used it several times a week for the past cant-do-math years. Yay friends who know you better than you know yourself!
that is really cute that your friend knew you needed a blender! Stay warm and don't fall down when you do have to go outside.
I bought myself a kitchen aid mixer one year because I refused to wait until I found a man to get one (it was the traditional wedding gift in my family). So while it wasn't on my wedding registry I use it at least several times a month and it was 1000% worth it. For our actual wedding, we got a beautiful wooden fruit bowl from Crate & Barrel that we use every day and has aged really well. We also got silverware from Crate & Barrel that I still love!
My kitchen aid mixer and crock pot(s) are still my favourite items from our registry and the ones we use most. And something that wasn't on our registry, but was gifted to us for our wedding, was a very large, very soft blanket, which has kept us warm in bed through seven winters so far (we're in upstate New York in the U.S.). Honourable mention is a kettle, which is now very dinged up, and which we accidentally leave water in whenever we go through spurts of using it, but it's a happy blue colour and it does the job.